New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-01
c,,v,.ohi; 1887: Bv The Nec. York Tribune.

IBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUSE.I
copyf.Ohi; 1887: Bu The McYork Tribune
nre,,y. Nov. 30.-Wiliiam O'Brien has managed
y, eond the following letter out of the Tullamore
; q, the Editor of The Frccmans Journal, III
.hich taper il will appear tomorrow:
nnr,n 81 : The substance of Mr.. Balfour's letter
,os hcn communicated to me. must at any hazard
answer it, MIR. Ballour states that pleaded weak
action of the heart and dcicacy Of the lungs
as an excuse for not Icing forced to criminals
rarb l did not SUPPOSE it possible for human
malice 10 suggest so cruel taschood at the
,xpeuse Of a man in my position, much less for
an honorable adversary TO resort TO it. In an
interview published the day after l entered Cork
miscn declared that | was never in my life in
such good health. If there is weakness of my
hearts action | am not TO this hour aware of it,
I never declared it, l scarcely even suspected it
sn1il heard of Mr. Balfour's letter. During the
prolonged examination made on me by Dr.
Maccabe, and again on Saturday last by another
gentleman name not given on behalf OF the
General Prisons Board. not the smallest reference
was made to my heart either on the doctors part
or on mine. In answer TO queries put to me truth
obliged me TO mention that my left lung was
dangerously affected years ago. but
stated to everybody who examined me that for
nearly two years past no serious cough or cold
has lodged in it, and that il gives me no incon-
venience at present So far from pleading any
delicacy of mine in mitigation Of prison rigOrs.
whenever 1 was compelled to refer at all TO
topic to me most distaSteful in my connections
with DOCTORS officials and visiting justices,
exaggerated frat all in the direction of REPRESENT
ing my health better than it really
Il will not venture to suggest tho full
ground of Mr.. Balfour's hesitation TO
proceed 10 tear my clothes of
ire by violent assault and leave me naked IN a cell
for the remainder of my term. / must however.
point out that If Mr. BalfOOr l. acting on the belief
that nv state Of health is such as to render the
application of brute force dangerous, the course
he has actually pursued mas not much TO recon-
mend II on the score of superior humanity. First
for six days after my committa was subjected to
constant threats of force Secondly, was pat on
b. cad and water Diet the proper punishment
for my refusal to criminals clothes
and one against which ! never for a moment muir
INJURED. Thirdly, when that found fruiIless
led to believe that the point would not he fur
ther insisted upon and under cover of the false
curly thus created in my mInd my clothes were
stolen. FOurthly. since ] supplied myself with a
new suit OF clothes have been subjected TO a sue
cession or uight alarms and espionage so that ain
not able to change my clothes by night or day,
and every, time my back turned | am
infamous personal -outrage accompanied, as il
would have TO be, by violence Even up TO tins
moment, seven days after the publication of Mr..
Bafours letter. not the remotest official intmatlon
has been given TO noe which would relieve the M
cessant strain OF waiting for the threatened violent
attack.
% his course of treatment has now been contin-
ued over a month If Mr.. Balfour can reconcile 1t
with his consideration of the weak action of my
b1or IL Inv b1s m lral Y
need dissuade him from the more mercIfu
expedent of shorter if sharper physical brutality.
HIS letter. besides ntcts deeper wrong upon me
than any ne could visit me with IN prison. 1t
amounts to a charge that while affecting TO strug
gle Tor a great principle OIL the broad ground OF
human right have been all the time secretly
pleading for ihdnlgeDces by parading if not actin
ally feig1ng physical dehcacy. CTcunstanced ~
at present there are not many means left to
me o. projecting honor against so foul and dis
honoring an imputation. | feel compelled to
adopt the only means of vndicaton
open to me. The first is the publication OF this
etter if it be possible 10 convey it to the outer
world Next unless and until Mr.. Bafanr with
draws his oathsone imputatlon IN as public
manner as he has uttered II, VIII hold no further
communication respecting my health with
any medical officer under the control
of Dublin Castle. Finally. the prison doctor
has thought fit TO order certain alteration In the
ordinary prison dietary my favor. He did so rot
ouly without any pleading Of mine. such as MI
Balfour generously suggests. but against my wish
and against my protest As find
cannot continue to accept these relaxatlons
without incurrng IntOlerable calnmny Will ac-
eept them no longer. | have returned to the fare
,f the vilest of the other criminals with whom Mr.
Baliour seems to discover such glcein budding my
comrades and myself
"These line, are scribbled under circumstances
of almost incredible difficulty. | am denied the
use of pencil paper his apartment is sub
jected night and day to the vigilance OF a system
OF espionage unrIvalled outside Russian donlnions.
Even if this letter should succeed IN ron
nlng the gauntlet the fact OF It's
being sent out OF the prison AT all
may involve serious consequences TO others as wei
as myself must leave honorable men to Judge OF
the chivafy which could indulge III fa.se and
heartless insnuatIOps against a man whom MT
Baifour holds III his power under conditions such
as these Yours faithfully, WILLIAM VB.I~N.
q" Tuilamore JAIL"
r. L. GILL, NJ. L.
PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES. IN PARIS.